"Fire and Ice tells the story of the Winter War, the Soviet Union's invasion of Finland in November, 1939. The Soviets were convinced they could win the war in a matter of days. No one expected that tiny Finland could resist the highly mechanized Red Army, the largest military force in the world. And no one anticipated that 1939 would be one of the coldest winters in recorded history.
During 105 days of intensely bloody and brutal combat, Finland improvised a devastating and deadly defense, for an environment historians have called a frozen hell.
The Winter War changed the course of what would soon become World War II."
http://www.mastersworkmedia.com/fireandice.htmAmerican company MasterWorks Media is currently filming in Finland for their documentary about the Winter War. They're in Finland for the third time, now filming winter shots in the actual wartime battlefields. Previously they've been around Finland, interviewing veterans and so on, and I have had the pleasure to assist them in a tiny way. The American team was very professional and had their heart on what they were doing - and it's been also very interesting to see how warmly they have been received in here. I was with them when they went to interview one 87 years old veteran, who was in the infantry in Winter War, to his hand built summer cottage. They had really prepared a treat for the visitors, making all kind of cookies and snacks and almost everything short of a full fiest for the visitors. And of course, the tales from the veteran were very well received by teh interviewers, the old chap was in his full strenght and telling very clearly about the time in the frozen trenches. His story about how he was trying to capture a Soviet tank in the no man's land, between trenches and how he then suddenly heard voices from inside of the tank and found out that the crew is actually still inside the tank, was bloody amazing stuff even for me.
Ben Strout, the producer, also commented today in a Finnish newspaper how for example one 90 years old veteran had been up from 7 o'clock in the morning, in his full uniform and all medals, waiting for the team to arrive.
